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Palo Alto: Effort to save Page Mill YMCA takes off

By Jason Green

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
07/25/2014 05:38:54 AM PDT

Updated:
07/25/2014 05:39:03 AM PDT

An effort to keep the Page Mill YMCA in Palo Alto open kicked into high gear Thursday night.

More than 50 people gathered at the Cubberley Community Center for the first meeting of Save the Page Mill YMCA, a grassroots group formed in response to last month's announcement by the YMCA of the Silicon Valley that the 35-year-old branch would close on Oct. 1.

For 90 minutes, attendees discussed a range of topics, including the organization of the group, which will consist of executive, finance, legal, marketing, member services and communications teams.

"It does represent the full set of things that you would have to do to try to run an organization and be effective," said Randall Strickfaden, a former Page Mill YMCA member who signed up for the executive team. "Our goal is to save the Page Mill Y. Right now we just don't know how much work is involved to do that, how many people we need from different places."

Niisa Carter, a member of the Page Mill YMCA for the past six years, noted that there are several possible scenarios at this point. One would be for members to form a separate entity to operate the location. An existing provider of health club services could also be tapped for the job.

However, Carter said after the meeting that she hoped the YMCA of Silicon Valley could simply be convinced to reverse its decision.

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"It would be the least disruptive for everybody," she said. "But if we can't, then we have to seek alternatives."

In a recent interview, Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth Jordan told The Daily News the decision to close the Page Mill YMCA was financially motivated. The branch is in need of repairs totaling $3.5 million, she said.

The Page Mill YMCA is also grappling with a decline in membership, as well as competition from other health clubs including Equinox Fitness and the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, Jordan said. As a result, the branch is running a deficit of more than $200,000.

"We are concerned that we could put that kind of money into a facility that is on a relatively short-term lease and not be able to recoup any of it if we weren't able to attract new members," she said of the funds needed for repairs.

At Thursday's meeting, member Ursula Duncan contended that the membership problem could be solved by allowing 150 members of the Palo Alto Family YMCA to make the Page Mill YMCA their "home" branch. She said many members of the Palo Alto Family YMCA exclusively use the Page Mill YMCA.

"If the Ross folks came over here, we'd have it," she said.

Duncan added that she believed Page Mill YMCA members also would be willing to significantly raise their dues if that's what it takes to keep the branch open. It's one of several questions Save the Page Mill YMCA's member services team plans to ask as part of a survey.

"Some people love this place so much, they're ready to have the fee go up to what Equinox's is," she said.

Earlier this week, Save the Page Mill YMCA asked the YMCA of Silicon Valley Board of Directors to hold a special meeting to discuss the closure. The board is in recess until September.

"We would like you to extend the lease for a shorter period time with the landlord and reconsider your decision to close down the Page Mill (YMCA)," the group wrote in a letter dated July 21.

The letter also noted that Page Mill YMCA members did not have a chance to weigh in on the decision before it was made.

"We are requesting the opportunity to present you with our data, ideas about increasing membership, and fundraising plans for paying for the needed improvements," the group wrote. "As you know we have a tremendous talent pool of members at the Page Mill Y who are willing and ready to help."